An Open Letter Sent to Both the Governor General and the Speaker of the Senate Regarding Bill C-51

Friday, 20 March 2015 07:48

An Open Letter Sent to Both the Governor General and the Speaker of the Senate Regarding Bill C-51

For Immediate Release March 20, 2015

Newmarket, Ont. - The Hon. Sinclair Stevens, Progressive Canadian Party leader stated in letters sent to Governor General David Johnston and Speaker of the Senate Claude Nolin reasons why they ought to reject agreeing to the passage of Bill C-51, Anti-terrorism Act, 2015.

(39) No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land.

(40) To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay, right or justice.

The authors of Bill C-51 are proposing pre-emptive arrest and seeking to create or modify “ … the law of the land.” to facilitate pre-emptive arrest. Moreover, the current majority government is forcing the Bill through the House by limiting the time for Parliament and its committees to fully debate the proposed law and ignoring requests to provide oversight.

Should the Bill be passed by the Harper Government majority in the House of Commons both Speaker and Governor General have been beseeched to reject it outright. The Senate through performing its proper role as ‘Chamber of sober second thought’, the Governor General for the preservation of the freedoms granted to us 800 years ago by a predecessor of She whom he represents.

It is further suggested that when passing Bill-C51 back to the House a complete copy of the Magna Carta be included without further comment on the reason(s) for its rejection.

PC Party applauds Friends of Canadian Broadcasting: Identifies political threat to Arts & Crown Corp.

Thursday, 26 February 2015 09:31

PC Party applauds Friends of Canadian Broadcasting: Identifies political threat to Arts & Crown Corp.

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For Immediate Release February 25, 2015

Newmarket, Ont. - The Hon. Sinclair Stevens, Progressive Canadian Party leader, today restated the PC Party's long-standing commitment to the Arts in Canada and to the CBC. "In 1932 the Conservative Party, later the Progressive Conservative Party and our predecessor, laid the foundation of the CBC to give Canadians the means of self-expression in a sea of American broadcasting. The importance of this role continues today", he said, "But the CBC is under attack".

The PC Party applauds Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, the organization fighting to save the CBC from de-funding by the Harper Conservatives since that party's founding in 2003. "The PC Party and Friends of Canadian Broadcasting are ˜fighting the good fight" to protect Canadian arts and culture and the CBC from the CPC and Stephen Harper" Mr. Stevens said.

In the 2006 and 2008 federal elections the PC Party called for all parties to endorse the Canadian actor's union, ACTRA, appeal for commitment to secure public CBC and arts funding and thus to ensure the means to express a Canadian voice and culture; Stephen Harper's CPC alone declined.

Friends have voiced alarm at the hostility Mr. Harper expresses toward the CBC, even going so far in a recent interview as to claim Radio-Canada employees "detest conservative values".

When Prime Minister Harper was a Reform Party MP, his party called for CBC privatization. Twice defeated Reform Party candidate, now Senator Stephen Greene appointed by Stephen Harper, suggested in a question to former Radio-Canada director Alain Saulnier January 28, 2015 during a public hearing of the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation and Communications that the CBC's mandate might be better served by shifting CBC funding to content providers under contract to private networks.

In February 2015 C2C Journal, advised by Reform's first leader Preston Manning, published a Q&A on "How and why to Save the CBC" with frequent CBC critic Rogers senior v-p for public policy Kenneth Whyte (formerly of Alberta Report), whose network acquired CBC's flagship and CBC revenue provider Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC), expanding on Senator Greene's theme of outsourcing CBC's mandate, changing the mandate and political hostility to culture of the arm's length Crown Corporation.

Progressive Canadian candidates such as Brian Marlatt in BC have warned against Harper's "slash and burn approach to culture and to the means of sharing it," including the CBC (2008 Marlatt, PC Party campaign). Equally important is the role of the CBC as an alternative to profit motivated broadcasters of news, and producers of art, and culture who fail to invest in core arts infrastructure.

"It is something the private sector is often unwilling to do or target for investment; it's easier and cheaper to buy off-the-rack than to tailor your product for a Canadian audience," Marlatt said in 2008, "so it is up to the public sector to build and support the infrastructure of the Arts, including film which is of such great importance to our economy here in BC."

Sinclair Stevens reinforced this message, urging Canadians to support the Progressive Canadian campaign in 2015 as PC candidates, volunteers and with their dollars and to join with us in supporting Friends of Canadian Broadcasting.

Donate to the PC Party & Vote PC Party in Election 2015 - for all Canadians

Thursday, 27 November 2014 20:01

In 2015 Canadians will elect a new government. You can contribute to democracy in Canada by donating to the PC Party today. The PC Party is the Progressive Canadian Party, Progressive Conservatives sustaining the Tory tradition Canadians have known since Confederation and even before 1867.

By donating to the PC Party today you will gain a 75% tax credit for every dollar you give up to $400.00 for the 2015 tax year, and additional tax credits on amounts up to $1,500. Donating and voting PC you will help elect Progressive Canadians to Parliament in the Tory tradition we know in Canada from Sir John A. Macdonald to today, honoured by the PC Party.

Issues Canadians care about are at stake.

Health Care. Falling contributions to health care funding to well below the promised 50% Canada Health Act participation of the federal government, beginning under the Chrétien Liberals as deficit reduction, is challenging health care sustainability under the Harper Reform Party-led Conservative Party of Canada as never before. In 2014, Stephen Harper failed to renew the 2004 Health Care Accord with the provinces and reduced funding rate renewal from 6% to 3% per annum; Stephen Harper re-entered federal politics in 2003 after leading the National Citizen’s Coalition, founded to end universal public health care in Canada.

Veterans. Neglect of Veteran’s health care and other issues is especially egregious.

Economic Opportunity Inequality. Canada’s Growing Income Gap regionally and between the 1% of richest households and other Canadians is creating inequality through "Big Shift" neglect of Canadian economic realities, unfair corporate tax cuts passing corporate tax responsibilities on to everyday Canadians, and globalization through business and job exporting free trade agreements without regard for the common good of Canadians. Post-secondary education is becoming unaffordable, yet "The Harper Government" is doing little to educate future Canadian leaders.

Canadian parliamentary democracy and institutions are being made unrepresentative of the people of Canada through Fixed Date Elections which diminish democratic accountability, an unFair Elections Act which marginalizes students, seniors, aboriginal and other Canadians, excessive PM and PMO power over the MP’s we elect to represent Canadians in Parliament, and the Harper Senate Scandals.

Progressive Canadians, PC Party on the ballot, needs your support so we can Stand Up for Canada, Stand Up for Integrity, Stand Up for You as Proud Canadian Tories in Parliament.

Donate today and in the New Year. Join today, be a volunteer, be a PC Party candidate.

An Open Letter to the Governor General Regarding the Fair Elections Act

Thursday, 29 May 2014 14:32

An Open Letter to the Governor General Regarding the Fair Elections Act

For Immediate Release May 29, 2014

Newmarket, Ontario - Progressive Canadian Party Leader, the Hon. Sinclair Stevens today released the text of an Open Letter to the Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Rt. Hon.David Johnston, urging the Queen’s representative in Canada not to give Royal Assent to Bill C-23, referenced as the "Fair Elections Act.” The Open Letter was issued May 27, 2014.

Citing recent Commonwealth precedent where Governors General in Australia and New Zealand have acted or been called to define the duties of their office to protect the democratic rights of citizens to hold governments accountable, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Para. 3), the historical origins of these duties in the Queen’s Oath, and recent events in Canada concerning the present government Mr. Stevens in his letter stated that Bill C-23 is a challenge to democracy in Canada in at least two specific ways.

First, the Act as proposed, if given Royal Assent, appears to threaten to disenfranchise certain identifiable groups within Canadian society despite amendments approved only by government members in the House of Commons.

Second, the Act as proposed, if given Royal Assent, will remove the duty to enforce compliance with the Canada Elections Act in the matter of political donations and funding from an officer of Parliament answering to Parliament, the Commissioner of Elections, to instead answer to the governing party through the Attorney General.

The reserve powers of the Governor General include the right 1.) To appoint a prime minister, 2.) To dismiss a prime minister, 3.) To dissolve Parliament, 4.) To force a dissolution of Parliament, and 5.) To refuse assent to legislation.

Consideration in depth has been presented to the Governor General in the accompanying OPEN LETTER. ending with this recommendation of the Progressive Canadian Party to His Excellency:

"Accordingly, it is strongly recommended that, instead of routinely signing Royal Assent, Your Excellency should discuss Bill C-23 in detail with Her Majesty and if there is any question to you simply refusing to approve the Bill, give consideration to referring it to the Supreme Court of Canada to judge its constitutionality.”

The Hon. Sinclair Stevens, LeaderThe Progressive Canadian PartyNewmarket, Ontario1-888-666-3821
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http://progressivecanadian.ca/